Recentcaseonthesupplyofhotdrinks

UnitedKingdom 20.05.2002

ThecaseofBogleandOthersvMcDonaldsRestaurantsLimited[2002]EWHC490(QB)concernedagroupofClaimantswhoweresuingMcDonaldsforpersonal
injuriescausedbythespillingofhotdrinks.Inallofthecasesthehotdrinkhadbeenpurchasedbyanadultandinallexceptoneitwasallegedthatalidded
cupcontainingahotdrinkfellovereitheronorfromatrayoronorfromatable,thelidcameoffandpartatleastofthehotcontentspouredoverthe
Claimant.

TheClaimantscontendedthatMcDonaldswasliableinnegligenceindispensingandservinghotdrinks,thatthecupsorlidswereinappropriateandthat
therewasadutytowarncustomersoftherisks.Also,theClaimantscontendedthatthehotdrinksweredefectiveundertheConsumerProtectionAct1987in
thattheywerenotofthelevelofsafetysuchaspersonsweregenerallyentitledtoexpect.

ThiswasatrialofpreliminaryissuesintheHighCourtinfrontofMrJusticeField.Liabilitywasexaminedundernegligence,occupiersliabilityandconsumer
protection.

WastheDefendantnegligentindispensingandservinghotdrinksatthetemperatureitdid?
Risk/PotentialInjury:Hotdrinkservedattemperaturesbetween78.88Cand90C,asMcDonaldsdrinkswere,wouldcauseadeepthicknessburnifitspilled
ontoavisitorandwasincontactwithhisskinforlittlemorethanasecond.

Knowledge/Foreseeability:McDonaldsandthepublicatlargeknewthattherewasariskofinjuryofthatsortifahotdrinkwasspilled.MrJusticeFieldstated
thatitdidnotfollowthatMcDonaldswasnegligent,(ifthisweretobethecaseitwouldleadtotheconclusionthatMcDonalds(andsotherestofthecatering
industry)shouldnotservedrinksatanytemperaturewhichwouldcauseabadscaldinginjury.)Thepublicwanttobeabletobuyteaandcoffeeservedata
temperatureofatleast65Ceventhoughtheyknowthattherewouldbeariskofascaldinginjuryifthedrinkwasspilled.MrJusticeFieldstatedthatitwould
notberightforthelawofnegligenceandoccupiersliabilitytoberesponsiblefordenyingtothepublicafacilitytheywantinthefaceofaknownrisk.

DutyofCare
AlthoughMcDonaldsowedadutyofcaretothosewhovisitedrestaurantstoguardagainstinjury.Thatdutywasnotsuchthatitshouldhaverefrainedfrom
servinghotdrinksatall.Ontheevidenceitwasheldthattheriskofinjurywouldnothavebeenavoidedorreducediftheservingtemperaturehadbeen70C
forwhichtheClaimantscontended.TherewasnoevidencethatMcDonaldsservingtemperaturewasunusuallyhotcomparedwiththeservingtemperatures
adoptedbyothersimilarrestaurantsandoutlets.

AllegedNegligentUseofPolystyreneCupsorLids
ThepolystyrenefoamcupsinwhichthedrinkswereservedwerecriticisedbytheClaimantsfortheirhighthermalefficiencybecausethatmeantthat
consumershadnosensoryunderstandingofhowhotthecontentswereandthedrinkswerenotallowedtocool.However,itwasheldbyMrJusticeField,on
theevidence,thatthecupsandlidswereadequatelydesignedandmanufacturedtocontainahotdrinkifthecupwastippedover.Norwasitnegligentfor
McDonaldstouselidswhichhadtoberemovedforthedrinktobeconsumedorforcreamerandsugartobeadded/teabagstoberemoved.Itwasheldthat
McDonaldswereentitledtoassumethattheadultconsumerwouldknowthatthedrinkwashotandtherisksconnectedwiththat.

DutytoWarn
AlthoughMcDonaldshassince1995printedawarningonthecupsofhotdrinks,itwasheldthatMcDonaldswasnot,onanobjectiveassessmentofallthe
facts,negligentbeforethisdate.ItwasheldtobeafairinferencethatsmallchildrenveryrarelybuyorintentionallyconsumecoffeeandteainMcDonalds
restaurantsandpersonsgenerallyexpectteaorcoffeepurchasedtobeconsumedonthepremisestobehot.Personsgenerallyknowthatifahotdrinkis
spilledontosomeone,aseriousascaldinginjurycanresult.Theyaccordinglyknowthatcaremustbetakentoavoidsuchspills,especiallyiftheyarewith
youngchildren.ItwasthereforeheldthattherewasnodutyonMcDonaldstowarnitscustomers.

ObjectiveLevelofSafetyundertheConsumerProtectionAct1987
Astowhatdidordidnotconstituteanunsafeproduct,MrJusticeFieldturnedtotheanalysisofBurtonJasstatedinAandOthersvTheNationalBlood
Authority&Another[2001]3AllER289,inaddressingthefollowingpoints.

(a)Theburdenofprovingthataproductisdefectiveisonthepartywhosoasserts(heretheClaimants)

(b)Indeterminingwhetherthesafetyoftheproductisnotsuchaspersonsgenerallyareentitledtoexpect,theCourt,actingasaninformedrepresentative
ofthepublicatlarge,mustobjectivelyassessthelegitimateexpectationsofpersonsgenerallyandwhilstthoseexpectationsmayaccordwithactual
expectation,theymaybemorethanwhatthepublicactuallyexpect

(c)Indeterminingthesafetyoftheproduct,theCourtshouldtakeintoaccountalltherelevantcircumstancesincludinginparticularthemattersrecitedin
Section3(2)oftheConsumerProtectionAct1987

(d)Theavoidabilityoftheriskofharmisanotarelevantcircumstance(itisnotasufficientlyrelevantenoughcircumstancetohavebeenincludedinArticle6
oftheProductLiabilityDirective1985/374anditwasintendedthatthemostsignificantcircumstanceswouldbelistedinthatArticle)

(e)Productsthatareobviouslydangerous(suchasaknife)arenotdefective:theconsumerhasafreechoicewhethertoexposehimselftotherisk,butthat
choicemustbeaninformedchoice.

Personsgenerallyexpectteaorcoffeepurchasedtobeconsumedonthepremisestobehot.Manyprefertoconsumeahotdrinkfromanunliddedcup
ratherthanthroughaspoutinthelid.Personsgenerallyknowthatifahotdrinkisspilledontosomeone,aseriousscaldinginjurycanresult.They
accordinglyknowthatcaremustbetakentoavoidsuchspills,especiallyiftheyarewithyoungchildren.Theyexpectprecautionstobetakentoguardagainst
thisriskbutnottothepointthattheyaredeniedthebasicutilityofbeingabletobuyhotdrinkstobeconsumedonthepremisesfromacupwiththelidoff.

OntheabovepointsMrJusticeFieldheldthatMcDonaldswasnotinbreachoftheConsumerProtectionAct.

Conclusion

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 Thiscaseisaninterestingexampleofthecourtsrefusingtoextendproductsafetylawwheretheinjuryarisesfromaproductforwhichtherisksconnected
withitsintrinsicpropertiesarewellknown.

Thedutyofcaredidnotextendtowarningaboutobviousrisks.

Thecaseconcernedanobjectiveassessmentoftheparticularfacts.Ifindifferentcircumstanceshotdrinksweresuppliedforsaletoyoungchildrenthe
standardsofsafetycouldwellbetreatedashigherthanitwashere.However,inthecaseofadults(andteenagers)thereisanonusonthemtotakecare
whentheychooseaproductsuchasahotdrink,therisksinherenttowhichtheyareawareof,andthisdutytotakecareisincreasediftheyareincontrolof
achild.

Forfurtherinformation,pleasecontactJessicaBurton02073673589orjessica.burt@cmscmck.com

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